Coolblade
Member
- Joined
- May 11, 2015
- Messages
- 285
- Reaction score
- 2,219
A few observations from the stats:
Derbies rarely reward patience, rarely reward subtlety, and almost never reward teams who think they can ease their way into an afternoon. They are about moments, emotion, momentum, and whether you can impose yourself enough to make the other lot doubt everything they thought they knew. And this one was shaped almost immediately, because we scored two early goals, and from that point on the entire psychology of the game flipped. But then flopped!
The headline numbers suggest control, 59.4% possession, 406 passes to their 280, 10 shots to their 6, 4 on target to their 2, and an xG of 1.96 to 0.16 but anyone watching knows this wasn’t a serene ninety minutes. The second half was tense at times, scrappy, emotional, and at times threatening to swing the wrong way. We did the damage early; everything that followed in the second half was about managing the reaction.
Team Set‑Up: We lined up in a 4‑2‑3‑1, becoming a 4‑4‑2 without the ball, with Bamford leading the line, O’Hare playing underneath, Brooks on the right, Hamer drifting in from the left, and Peck alongside Phillips in midfield.
The intention was obvious from kick‑off: start fast, play forward, get bodies into the box early, and make the first contact count. That approach paid off instantly. Once we went two goals up, the emphasis shifted. The wide players dropped deeper, the full‑backs chose their moments more carefully, and the midfield sat tighter to protect central areas. Wednesday wanted disruption and chaos; our early goals forced them to chase.
Phase 1: Before the red card (0’–49’): control with intent
You couldn’t have scripted a better start. Bamford scored in the 1st minute, punishing a poor clearance and finishing clinically from his only shot on target. Statistically it was pure efficiency: 1 shot, 1 on target, 1 goal, from 20 touches and just 6 passes, but with 83.3% accuracy. He didn’t need volume; he needed one moment, and he took it.
We didn’t let up, and in the 19th minute Burrows doubled the lead, finishing confidently after arriving from the left. Burrows was hugely involved all afternoon: 78 touches, 51 passes, 2 shots, 1 on target, 1 key pass, 4 clearances, and a 7.63 rating. For a left‑back in a derby, that’s control at both ends.
At 2–0, we were in charge of the scoreboard, but the game never fully settled. Wednesday stayed aggressive, pushed balls forward, and tried to turn it into a scrap — and we were happy to let it be one.
Up to the dismissal, this was a derby being played on our terms. We were already 2–0 up, and the underlying numbers show this wasn’t luck or chaos. Across the match we finished with 59.4% possession, 346 total passes at 80.3% accuracy, and crucially 141 forward passes with 56 successful final‑third passes, which tells you we weren’t just circulating the ball for the sake of it.
Defensively, the work was structured rather than frantic. Tackles and interceptions were happening higher up the pitch, with Peck and Phillips able to step in rather than chase back. At that point, this looked like a derby being managed properly.
Phase 2: After Phillips’ red card (49’–65’): the wobble
The red card at 49 minutes is the moment everything changes. Just four minutes later, Wednesday score at 53’, and the match enters the spell where momentum genuinely swings.
For roughly 10–15 minutes, we were under real pressure. The shape stretched, second balls started dropping their way, and we were forced into repeated defensive actions close to our own box. By full time, we’d made 41 clearances to their 18, and while that includes the entire second half, a heavy proportion of that volume comes in this immediate post‑red‑card period. Tanganga (10 clearances), Bindon (8), Burrows (4) and Peck (3) were all pulled into recovery defending.
That swing also shows up in set‑play pressure. Wednesday finished with 6 corners to our 2, driven almost entirely by this phase, when we were pinned deeper and conceding territory rather than dictating it. This was the most uncomfortable part of the game, and the stats back up exactly what it felt like in the ground.
Phase 3: After the reset and late red card (65’–FT): controlled resistance
What matters is that the wobble didn’t turn into a collapse. Once the substitutions settled the side and the block narrowed, the nature of Wednesday’s pressure changed. They still had territory, but not quality. Despite the momentum, they finished the game with just 6 shots and 2 on target, compared to our 10 and 4.
The defensive work stayed heavy, but it became more organised. We continued to win first contacts (20 aerial duels to their 12) and our tackle volume stayed high (25 tackles to their 19), which matters hugely in a derby being pushed into the box late on.
Then, in the 90th minute, Wednesday’s task became even harder when Otegbayo was sent off, reducing them to ten men as well. That moment doesn’t change the story of the match, but it does take the sting out of the final minutes, allowing us to manage stoppage time without the same level of chaos or numerical disadvantage. From there, it was about seeing the game out: clearing lines, slowing restarts, and making sure nothing cheap was given away.
Defence: Calm heads under pressure
This is where the game was ultimately won. Tanganga was excellent: 10 clearances, 2 interceptions, 2 tackles, 5 aerials won, and 86.8% passing from 38 passes. He led the line when the pressure was on. Alongside him, Bindon put in another quietly authoritative display: 8 clearances, 1 interception, 2 tackles, 4 aerials won, and 36 passes at 86.1%. He read danger early and didn’t overplay. On the right, Seriki was relentless: 6 tackles, 1 interception, 61 touches, 30 passes at 90%, and constant recovery running that mattered once we dropped deeper.
Midfield: Energy early, damage limitation late
Peck was outstanding. He provided the assist for the second goal and backed it up with a complete midfield performance: 71 touches, 53 passes, 2 shots, 2 key passes, 3 dribbles, 3 clearances, 2 tackles, and a deserved man‑of‑the‑match‑level rating. Phillips was tidy in possession before the red card, with 29 passes at 89.7%, 3 clearances, 2 tackles. but his dismissal changed the entire shape of the match.
Creativity & Attack: Ruthless early, self‑sacrificing late
Hamer didn’t dominate the ball, but his contribution was decisive: 1 assist, 1 key pass, 3 crosses, and the experience to help manage the game before he was withdrawn. Brooks stayed disciplined: 28 touches, 18 passes, 2 clearances, and defensive tracking rather than flair. O’Hare contributed through connection rather than volume: 36 touches, 20 passes, 2 key passes, 2 clearances, and a lot of work between the lines before dropping deeper late on. From the bench, Campbell added directness: 2 shots, 1 on target, 16 touches, and 2 aerial duels won, giving us something to run into when we needed relief.
Final Thoughts
It wasn’t flawless. It wasn’t always calm. But who cares! We won! They lost! Relegated by us with the worst record ever!
Happy days!
UTB
Derbies rarely reward patience, rarely reward subtlety, and almost never reward teams who think they can ease their way into an afternoon. They are about moments, emotion, momentum, and whether you can impose yourself enough to make the other lot doubt everything they thought they knew. And this one was shaped almost immediately, because we scored two early goals, and from that point on the entire psychology of the game flipped. But then flopped!
The headline numbers suggest control, 59.4% possession, 406 passes to their 280, 10 shots to their 6, 4 on target to their 2, and an xG of 1.96 to 0.16 but anyone watching knows this wasn’t a serene ninety minutes. The second half was tense at times, scrappy, emotional, and at times threatening to swing the wrong way. We did the damage early; everything that followed in the second half was about managing the reaction.
Team Set‑Up: We lined up in a 4‑2‑3‑1, becoming a 4‑4‑2 without the ball, with Bamford leading the line, O’Hare playing underneath, Brooks on the right, Hamer drifting in from the left, and Peck alongside Phillips in midfield.
The intention was obvious from kick‑off: start fast, play forward, get bodies into the box early, and make the first contact count. That approach paid off instantly. Once we went two goals up, the emphasis shifted. The wide players dropped deeper, the full‑backs chose their moments more carefully, and the midfield sat tighter to protect central areas. Wednesday wanted disruption and chaos; our early goals forced them to chase.
Phase 1: Before the red card (0’–49’): control with intent
You couldn’t have scripted a better start. Bamford scored in the 1st minute, punishing a poor clearance and finishing clinically from his only shot on target. Statistically it was pure efficiency: 1 shot, 1 on target, 1 goal, from 20 touches and just 6 passes, but with 83.3% accuracy. He didn’t need volume; he needed one moment, and he took it.
We didn’t let up, and in the 19th minute Burrows doubled the lead, finishing confidently after arriving from the left. Burrows was hugely involved all afternoon: 78 touches, 51 passes, 2 shots, 1 on target, 1 key pass, 4 clearances, and a 7.63 rating. For a left‑back in a derby, that’s control at both ends.
At 2–0, we were in charge of the scoreboard, but the game never fully settled. Wednesday stayed aggressive, pushed balls forward, and tried to turn it into a scrap — and we were happy to let it be one.
Up to the dismissal, this was a derby being played on our terms. We were already 2–0 up, and the underlying numbers show this wasn’t luck or chaos. Across the match we finished with 59.4% possession, 346 total passes at 80.3% accuracy, and crucially 141 forward passes with 56 successful final‑third passes, which tells you we weren’t just circulating the ball for the sake of it.
Defensively, the work was structured rather than frantic. Tackles and interceptions were happening higher up the pitch, with Peck and Phillips able to step in rather than chase back. At that point, this looked like a derby being managed properly.
Phase 2: After Phillips’ red card (49’–65’): the wobble
The red card at 49 minutes is the moment everything changes. Just four minutes later, Wednesday score at 53’, and the match enters the spell where momentum genuinely swings.
For roughly 10–15 minutes, we were under real pressure. The shape stretched, second balls started dropping their way, and we were forced into repeated defensive actions close to our own box. By full time, we’d made 41 clearances to their 18, and while that includes the entire second half, a heavy proportion of that volume comes in this immediate post‑red‑card period. Tanganga (10 clearances), Bindon (8), Burrows (4) and Peck (3) were all pulled into recovery defending.
That swing also shows up in set‑play pressure. Wednesday finished with 6 corners to our 2, driven almost entirely by this phase, when we were pinned deeper and conceding territory rather than dictating it. This was the most uncomfortable part of the game, and the stats back up exactly what it felt like in the ground.
Phase 3: After the reset and late red card (65’–FT): controlled resistance
What matters is that the wobble didn’t turn into a collapse. Once the substitutions settled the side and the block narrowed, the nature of Wednesday’s pressure changed. They still had territory, but not quality. Despite the momentum, they finished the game with just 6 shots and 2 on target, compared to our 10 and 4.
The defensive work stayed heavy, but it became more organised. We continued to win first contacts (20 aerial duels to their 12) and our tackle volume stayed high (25 tackles to their 19), which matters hugely in a derby being pushed into the box late on.
Then, in the 90th minute, Wednesday’s task became even harder when Otegbayo was sent off, reducing them to ten men as well. That moment doesn’t change the story of the match, but it does take the sting out of the final minutes, allowing us to manage stoppage time without the same level of chaos or numerical disadvantage. From there, it was about seeing the game out: clearing lines, slowing restarts, and making sure nothing cheap was given away.
Defence: Calm heads under pressure
This is where the game was ultimately won. Tanganga was excellent: 10 clearances, 2 interceptions, 2 tackles, 5 aerials won, and 86.8% passing from 38 passes. He led the line when the pressure was on. Alongside him, Bindon put in another quietly authoritative display: 8 clearances, 1 interception, 2 tackles, 4 aerials won, and 36 passes at 86.1%. He read danger early and didn’t overplay. On the right, Seriki was relentless: 6 tackles, 1 interception, 61 touches, 30 passes at 90%, and constant recovery running that mattered once we dropped deeper.
Midfield: Energy early, damage limitation late
Peck was outstanding. He provided the assist for the second goal and backed it up with a complete midfield performance: 71 touches, 53 passes, 2 shots, 2 key passes, 3 dribbles, 3 clearances, 2 tackles, and a deserved man‑of‑the‑match‑level rating. Phillips was tidy in possession before the red card, with 29 passes at 89.7%, 3 clearances, 2 tackles. but his dismissal changed the entire shape of the match.
Creativity & Attack: Ruthless early, self‑sacrificing late
Hamer didn’t dominate the ball, but his contribution was decisive: 1 assist, 1 key pass, 3 crosses, and the experience to help manage the game before he was withdrawn. Brooks stayed disciplined: 28 touches, 18 passes, 2 clearances, and defensive tracking rather than flair. O’Hare contributed through connection rather than volume: 36 touches, 20 passes, 2 key passes, 2 clearances, and a lot of work between the lines before dropping deeper late on. From the bench, Campbell added directness: 2 shots, 1 on target, 16 touches, and 2 aerial duels won, giving us something to run into when we needed relief.
Final Thoughts
It wasn’t flawless. It wasn’t always calm. But who cares! We won! They lost! Relegated by us with the worst record ever!
Happy days!
UTB
